Quark
Quark (2375) Gender: Male Species: Ferengi Mother: Ishka Father: Keldar (deceased) Brother: Rom Nephew: Nog Occupation: Bartender Actor: Armin Shimerman Quark was a Ferengi, the eldest son of Keldar and Ishka and older brother to Rom. During the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, he opened a bar on the Cardassian space station, Terok Nor. Early Career Prior to opening his bar on Terok Nor, Quark served for eight years as a cook aboard a Ferengi freighter. (DS9: "Babel") Despite being a cook, Quark commonly carried a disruptor pistol with him at all times, because every member of the freighter's crew thought himself a food critic. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior") Deep Space 9 Quark was best known as the owner and barkeep of Quark's Place, located on the Promenade of what would become starbase Deep Space 9 in 2369. In this job, he was assisted by his brother Rom. While on Terok Nor during the Cardassian Occupation, Quark, though Ferengi customs frowned upon it, was somewhat sympathetic to the Bajorans, selling food to them cheaply, and on occasion, was willing to furnish alibis, for a small fee, of course. Quark was considering closing his bar and leaving the station following the departure of the Cardassians and the station's occupation by the Federation. However, the station's new commander, Benjamin Sisko, coerced him into staying and keeping his bar establishment open, essentially blackmailing him with the fact that his nephew, Nog, was currently incarcerated aboard the station. (DS9: "Emissary") He would become involved with Rao Vantika who had taken over Bashir's body in a smuggling operation. (DS9: "The Passenger") Quark engaged in numerous shady ventures that Constable Odo routinely interrupted. For instance 2369, Quark attempted to buy a stolen crystal through a pair of Miradorn, Ah-Kel and Ro-Kel, but he was suspiciously honest and would not pursue the deal without a bill of sale. When Croden, a visitor from the Gamma Quadrant interrupted the transaction to steal the crystal, it was revealed that Odo had been posing as a glass and was in the room; though Quark went free due to his "legal" behavior, he had in fact hired Croden to steal the jewel. Despite incidents such as this, Odo let the Ferengi "get away" with a transaction every now and then. (DS9: "Vortex", "His Way") He helped Verad and his cohorts to board the station illegally because he thought he was buying contraband goods. In reality Verad wished to steal the Dax symbiont. Quark would also ran a crooked racquetball game between O'Brien and Bashir in order to steal customers from a rival bar. He tried to make a sexual holoprogram of Kira without her permission in order to sell it to one of his best customers named Tiron. This plan was foiled when Kira substituted Quark's head onto the image of her body. Quark also tried to cheat the Wadi, the first race that made contact from the Gamma Quadrant. When they visited his bar, he cheated them at Dabo. When the Wadi find out they make Quark play a game with the some of the station's personnel as game pieces. Quark believes that it is a life and death game, but in the end it was harmless.(DS9: "Invasive Procedures", "Rivals", "Move Along Home", and "Meridian") In general, Quark was a "shade of gray" aboard the station, something to which Worf did not easily become accustomed. Just as Odo let Quark get away with things, Quark gave Odo tip-offs occasionally, if only because the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition stated, "Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies." Worf, who was unaccustomed to Quark's nature, became frustrated that Odo did nothing while Quark was conducting a black-market deal with a Markalian criminal. The Klingon interrupted the deal to arrest them, only to find that the bag in which Quark had been holding his latinum was Odo, who had wanted to use Quark to infiltrate a larger smuggling ring. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition", "Crossfire") In 2369 Quark became involved with Vash. She had returned from the Gamma Quadrant where she had spent time with Q. He arranged an auction to sell off some of the items she brought back with her. One of the items is a crystal that causes a gravometric power drain on the station. It was beamed out into space before it destroyed the station. (DS9: "Q-Less") In 2369, Quark became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance after the apparent death of Grand Nagus Zek. Unfortunately for him, this was only a temporary position — Zek had faked his death in order to test his son Krax. (DS9: "The Nagus") In 2362, Quark helped Fallit Kot to hijack a shipment of Romulan ale. Kot was arrested and sentenced to eight years in a Romulan prison. When he returned to the station he attempted to kill Quark. But would later get into a business deal with him. The deal turned wrong when Fallit Kot killed one of the partners, and kidnapped Melora and Jadiza holding them as hostages. (DS9: "Melora") When Major Kira asked Quark to hire the Bajoran musician Varani in the hope that Varani's music would help her people recuperate in the wake of the Cardassian Occupation, profits declined sharply. Mesmerized by Varani's beautiful playing, the customers in Quark's bar stopped gambling, eating and drinking as they enjoyed the soothing melodies. Quark panicked and got ahold of Kira as soon as possible; although she made him keep his promise to hire Varani for a full month, Kira asked the man to play something more lively, which met with Quark's approval. (DS9: "Sanctuary") That same year, the Skrreea refugees came aboard DS9 in droves, which Quark found thoroughly distateful. On top of not buying anything, the former residents of the Gamma Quadrant flaked and left dead skin all over his bar; tensions came to a head when his nephew Nog provoked a Skrreean boy into a fight; Quark was more than happy to see the Skrreea leave the station several days later. (DS9: "Sanctuary") In 2370, he completed the first trade negotiation with the Dominion. With the help of Pel, a female disguised as a male, he sold wine to the Dosi. It is illegal for females to do business, and Quark almost got into trouble with the Grand Nagus. He briefly became romantically involved with Pell. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition") Quark was almost murdered, after he retrieved a list of collaborators from the station for a Bajoran woman named Pallra. This incident would reopen a five year old murder case. (DS9: "Necessary Evil") Later that year Quark would be reunited with the love of his life. Quark had a one month love affair with Natima Lang which ended when he stole Cardassian Communication Service money using her access codes. She admired him for selling food to the Bajorans before she realized he was doing it just for profit. She arrived on the station with some of her students, while fleeing the Cardassian authorities for being political dissentors. Quark would help them escape. (DS9: "Profit and Loss") Not only was Quark the first to deal with the Dominion during the wine sale to the Dosi, he along with Benjamin Sisko, would be one of the first to meet the soldiers of the Dominion. During a camping trip in the Gamma Quadrant, he and Sisko were captured by the Jem'Hadar. They were rescued along with a alien named Eris. After returning to the station, it was Quark who found out that Eris, a Vorta, was an agent of the Dominion. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar") Quark would have his next romantic fling with Grilka, a Klingon, whose husband Kozak, Quark had killed accidently. In danger of losing her house and property, she kidnapped Quark and marries him. D'Ghor, brother to Kozak, wanted to inherit his brother's property. Quark would prove that D'Ghor was trying to bring down the House of Kozak by financial means. Grilka was given her house back, divorces Quark, and gives him a passionate kiss for his help. Two years later, Grilka would return to the station to ask Quark's help in the financial aspects of her house. They would spend a great deal of time together. So much so that one of her bodyguards challanges Quark to combat. Using a special device, Worf is able to control Quark's body and help him the combat. Grilka and Quark would take up their affair. (DS9: "The House of Quark" and "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places") Quark would have many dealings with the Grand Nagus Zek and Brunt the FCA'S chief liquidator. Quark would help Zek regain his senses, after he was affected by the prophets and re-wrote the Rules of Aquisition. The new rules are in direct contrast to the old ones that preached greed. Quark is able to convince the Prophets to change Zek back. Later that year he would meet Brunt who was investigating Ishka, mother of Quark, who violated Ferengi law by earning profit. Quark gets his mother out of trouble when she agrees to give back the profits, or so Quark and Brunt think, for she would keep half. (DS9: "Prophet Motive" and "Family Business") Brunt would appear to make Quark's life miserable in 2372 when Quarks employees, led by Rom formed a union. The employees refused to dissolve the union even after Brunt threatened them. As a result, Brunt had his Nausicaan thugs beat Quark to show the employees what could happen to them. Quark secretly conceded to the demands of the workers and they in turn dissolved the union. Later that year Quark was told he had a fatal illness. He auctioned off his body parts to the highest bidder, not knowing that it was Brunt. When he found out that it was a mistake and he does not have the illness, Brunt still insisted that he keep the contract by killing himself or Brunt would revoke Quark's business license for breaking the contract and a supreme Ferengi law and he would not be allowed to earn profits. Quark ultimately broke the contact and Brunt conficated everything in his bar. Quark was able to reopen with the help of his friends on the station. (DS9: "Bar Association" and "Body Parts") In return for restoring his license, Quark would try to break up his mother and Zek who had fallen in love. He later learns that Zek is becoming forgettful and Ishka has been helping him. Brunt wants the relationship over with so Zek cannot function and Brunt can become Nagus. Once again Quark would foil Brunt's grab at power. In 2374 Brunt would again try to become Nagus. He had Zek desposed because Zek was promoting female rites. Quark would dress in drag to convince Nilva one of the most influencial Ferengi to support Zek. Which he did and Zek was returned to power. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs" and "Profit and Lace") He would help disarm a Jem'Hadar torpedo that was stuck in the hull of the USS Defiant, saving the ship from destruction. (DS9: "Starship Down") As the resident bartender, Quark concocted new beverages from time to time. One of his less successful creations was "Quarktajino", a self-named version of raktajino sans the caffeine. He created the drink at the request of Chief O'Brien, who wanted Major Kira to stop drinking caffinated beverages while she carried his child. Both the chief and the major thought the drink tasted horrible, and O'Brien refused to pay for it. (DS9: "...Nor the Battle to the Strong") He, his brother Rom and his nephew Nog were once transported in time to Earth of 1947. This became known in Earth history as the Roswell Incident. (DS9: "Little Green Men") Quark would get involved with an arms dealer named Hagath. His cousin Gaila offered him a job with Hagath. Quark would help break up the arms ring when he was horrified that money was made by people's deaths. (DS9: "Business as Usual") Quark would also visit the Mirror Universe. His counterpart in the universe had been killed by the Alliance. He and Rom were able to rescue the Nagus from the Alliance and help the rebels capture one of the leaders of the Alliance. (DS9: "The Emperor's New Cloak") Dominion War .]] After the Dominion captured Deep Space 9, Quark remained on the station. He would be instrumental in helping the Defiant retake the station, when he freed Kira and Rom from the holding cells during the attack and they were able to deactivate the weapons on the station. (DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels") Later he would lead a group of Ferengi in rescuing Ishka from the Dominion. (DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi") Quark got involved when Morn's former associates, thinking Morn was dead, and went looking for the latinum they had stolen in a heist with Morn. He would also participate on Sisko's baseball team when they played against Sisko's Vulcan rival on the holodeck. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn", "Take Me Out to the Holosuite") He would accompany Worf on a mission to destroy the Dominion shipyards so that Jadzia could enter Sto-vo-kor. (DS9: "Shadows and Symbols") Quark's moment of truth came in 2375 during the siege of AR-558. During a savage Jem'Hadar attack, he saved Nog who was wounded by killing a Jem'Hadar who had entered into the infirmary. (DS9: "The Siege of AR-558") :In a scene cut from ''Star Trek: Insurrection, it was established that Quark travelled to the Ba'ku planet aboard the [[USS Ticonderoga|USS Ticonderoga]] where he hoped to build a spa. Jean-Luc Picard told him that the Federation would not allow him to do so, and the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]] took him back to DS9.'' Later in 2375, Quark was visited by Grand Nagus Zek on Deep Space Nine, thinking he would be named his successor. Instead, Rom became Nagus. (DS9: "The Dogs of War") At the end of the war he would remain on the station. Colonel Kira who assumed command told Quark she would watch his every move. Quark stated that the more things change, they stay the same. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind") :During the novel ''Unity, part of the Deep Space Nine relaunch, Quark is named as the Ferengi ambassador to Bajor, with the bar becoming the official Ferengi embassy. And no, he does not have diplomatic immunity.'' Values By Ferengi standards, Quark is a compassionate and generous man who is occasionally open to business deals with highly favorable terms, and willing to sell needed supplies at cost to parties in difficult circumstances. This behavior is considered anathema to the Ferengi authorities, especially to Brunt, an agent of the Ferengi Commerce Authority who prosecuted Quark numerous times and inflicted severe punishments on him for his deviance. ("Body Parts") Personal Relationships Friendships Odo From the time they met aboard Terok Nor, Odo and Quark were bitter adversaries. When Odo came to Quark's looking for the proprietor, Quark recognized him from his performance of the Cardassian neck trick, and it was obvious from the start that the two did not get along. Odo was the only person among the station's security force whose vigilance Quark did not believe he could overcome when conducting criminal activities, due in part to Odo's status as a Changeling. But through the years they gained a mutual respect for the other. They enjoyed insulting each other and Quark felt that Odo was the closest he could get to a best friend. Their relationship fluctuated as much as a love hate one would. Quark was also one of the few people who suspected about Odo's feelings toward Kira and would encourage him to show this towards Kira. Being marooned on an inhospitable planet, they saved each other's lives and eventually were able to send out a distress call, saving them both. As Odo left the station to join the Great Link, Quark found him to say good-bye. He states that Odo loved him, which he probably did. (DS9: Crossfire, The Ascent and What You Leave Behind) Dax Quark and Dax had a long term friendship while together on the station. She understood and liked Ferengis. She would spend long hours with Quark playing Tongo and Dabo. Quark would often confide in Jadiza and ask her advice. Quark was infatuated with Jadzia Dax, but she thought of him as a friend, and did not return his romantic feelings. When she was killed, Quark was extremely upset. He participated in attacking a Dominion shipyard to honor her and help her gain entrance to Sto-Vo-Kor. Major Kira *Major Kira Nerys had a cool relationship with Quark that was initially hostile. This antagonism may have derived from the sexist attitude of Ferengi toward females. She was not beyond taking advantage of his connections and unique skills, however, and even asked him to hack into the Vedek Assembly database on one occasion. In the end, Kira accepted Quark and acknowledged that there was a good side to him, such as his decision to sell the Bajorans food during the Occupation at only slightly above cost. Benjamin Sisko *Commander Benjamin Sisko was not especially fond of Quark, but he tolerated the Ferengi entrepeneur. One of the reasons for this was Quark's help in revitalizing the promenade on the station and establishing contact with the Dominion. Other *After the incident of exposing D'Ghor's crimes at considerable personal risk, Quark gained considerable respect in the Klingon community as a Ferengi of unusual bravery. :In the DS9 relaunch novel series, Quark begins a romantic relationship with Ro Laren after she becomes security chief on board the station. Family Rom Quark loved his brother, but like a good Ferengi treated him like a servant. Quark would swindle Rom out of his share of the profits. In fact, Rom's contract for Quark's Bar states that everything that goes wrong in the bar is Rom's fault. (DS9: Heart of Stone) Sometimes he would watch over him and take care of him. He made Rom his partner in many business adventures and provide latinum for Rom. Ishka Ishka was Quark's mother. She would drive him crazy. She was not a typical Ferengi women. She liked to earn profit, she wore clothes and became an advisor and lover of the Grand Nagus Zek. This caused Quark many problems especially with Brunt. But Quark loved her very much. Others Father * Keldar (Deceased) Grandfather * Adred Uncles * Frin * Gorad * Pax Cousins * Barbo * Gaila * Kono * Stol Nephew * Nog Alternate Timelines *In one alternate timeline, Quark abandoned DS9 when the Federation relinquished control of it to the Klingon Empire. He later bought a moon with Rom. Nog told Jake Sisko that Rom "stops it falling out of orbit." Morn stayed on DS9 and took over Quark's Bar in that timeline. ("The Visitor") *Another alternate timeline took place on Gaia where the crew of the ''Defiant'' crashed 200 years in the past. Jadzia Dax programmed a simulation of Quark from the ship's security files to teach math to children born there. Yedrin Dax noted, "Quark was always good with numbers." ("Children of Time") Background Information Quark was played by Armin Shimerman throughout all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as TNG: "Firstborn" and VOY: "Caretaker". Shimerman also filmed an appearance as Quark for Star Trek: Insurrection, but his scenes were deleted prior to the film's release. Quark's relationship with Odo is a clear homage to the classic 1942 film Casablanca, with Quark in Humphrey Bogart's role of Rick Blaine and Odo as Claude Rains' Captain Louis Renault. The Joan Pearce Research Associates noted in their initial report on the names and terms used in the DS9 pilot script that the word Quark was coined by Murray Gell-Mann, "to denote a theorectical particle". Geil-Mann actually borrowed the word from James Joyce's Ulysses, where it had no readily apparent meaning. (The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) Trivia *Along with Q and Gul Evek, he is one of only three characters to appear in all three Star Trek series based in the 24th Century: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. Category:Ferengi Category:Deep Space 9 personnel de:Quark fr:Quark